Work in the Examinations Directorate is subject to the Examinations and Evaluation System for Private Universities issued by the Higher Education Council.

 

Chapter One

Student Evaluation

Article 1 - This system is called: The Unified Examinations and Evaluation System for Syrian Private Universities that Adopt the Credit Hour System

Article 2 - a) The academic year consists of two mandatory semesters and an optional summer semester.

 

Semester One: A regular mandatory semester lasting 16 to 19 weeks, some of which are allocated for examinations.

 

Second Semester: A regular mandatory semester lasting 16 to 19 weeks, some of which are allocated for examinations.

 

Summer Semester: An intensive optional semester lasting eight weeks.

b) The academic calendar, approved annually by the relevant university council, specifies the start date of studies for each semester, the examination dates, the mid-year break, the announcement of results, and registration dates.

 

Article 3 - Student evaluation in any course during the semesters is conducted through tests, assignments, and various activities consistent with the nature of the course and which demonstrate the student's understanding of the course's academic level.

 

Article 4:

a) Grades are distributed among the components of the semester evaluation (tests, assignments, activities, and practical work) according to the following: As stipulated in the university's internal regulations and course descriptions, taking into account the following:

1- Theoretical Courses

a- Applied Colleges: Coursework shall account for no more than 50% of the course grade, provided that at least two exams are administered during each semester. The final exam shall account for at least 50% of the final grade and shall be written and comprehensive.

 

b- Theoretical Colleges: Coursework shall account for no more than 40% of the course grade, provided that at least two exams are administered during each semester. The final exam shall account for at least 60% of the final grade and shall be written and comprehensive.

c- Students who do not obtain 25% of the coursework grade are not permitted to take the final exam.

 

d- Students who do not obtain 25% of the final exam grade are not considered to have passed.

 

2- Courses of a Practical Nature, Research Seminars, Applied Projects, and Clinics

a- College councils shall determine how the grades for these courses are distributed, and this distribution shall be approved by the relevant college council.

b- At the beginning of each academic year, the college council shall issue a decision regarding the distribution of grades for both the theoretical and practical sections. (Tests, Assignments, Activities, and Practical Work)

 

C. A student's final grade in a course is determined by combining all marks for tests, exams, assignments, and academic activities, along with the practical work mark (if applicable). The sum of these marks constitutes the student's final overall grade for the course.

Article 5-A - The letter equivalents for the percentage grades obtained by the student as a total grade in a course, along with the equivalent grade and corresponding points, are determined according to the table shown below:

Course Mark Percentage (x)	The letter symbol	corresponding points
98 <= X <= 100	A+	4.00
95 <= X < 98	A	3.75
90 <= X < 95	A-	3.50
85 <= X < 90	B+	3.25
80 <= X < 85	B	3.00
75 <= X < 80	B-	2.75
70 <= X < 75	C+	2.50
65 <= X < 70	C	2.25
60 <= X < 65	C-	2.00
55 <= X < 60	D+	1.75
50 <= X < 55	D	1.50
X < 50	F	0.00
deprived	Z	-
withdrawn	W	-
patchy	I	-

 

B- The university uses the following table to calculate the student's semester GPA and cumulative GPA:

Cumulative percentage	Average out of (4)	Appreciation
From 95 to 100	3.75 - 4.00	honor
From 85 to below 95	3.25 - 3.74	privilege
From 75 to below 85	2.75 - 3.24	very good
From 65 to under 75	2.25 - 2.74	good
From 60 to under 65	2.00 - 2.24	acceptable

 

Article 6:

A- Students must adhere to the full-time attendance system and attend all lectures, practical sessions, and discussions according to the approved study plan.

B- Deans of colleges, heads of departments, faculty members, and the Director of Admissions and Registration are responsible for implementing the attendance regulations.

Article 7- Students are not permitted By being absent for more than 15% of the scheduled hours of a course

 

Article 8 - If a student is absent for more than 15% of the total scheduled hours of a course without a valid medical or compelling excuse accepted by the Dean of the College, they will be barred from taking the final exam. Their grade in that course will be zero, and they will receive a failing grade (Z). If the course is mandatory, they must re-enroll. In all cases, this failing grade will be included in the calculation of the student's semester grade point average for the purposes of warning and dismissal from the program (major).

 

Article 9 - If a student is absent for more than 15% of the scheduled hours of a course, and this absence is due to illness or a compelling excuse accepted by the relevant Dean and approved by the College Council, they will be considered withdrawn from that course. The withdrawal regulations will apply, and the Dean will notify the Director of Admissions and Registration. The word "Withdrawn" and the grade "W" will be recorded next to that course in the student's academic transcript.

 

Article 10 - A medical excuse must be supported by a medical report issued by a university physician, or a clinic or hospital accredited by the university and certified by the Directorate of Health. This report must be submitted to the Dean of the College within two weeks of the student's absence. In other compelling circumstances, the student must submit proof of their compelling reason for absence within one week of the reason for the absence ceasing to exist.

 

Article 11 - A student has the right to withdraw from a registered course during the semester. In this case, they will receive a "Withdrawal" grade (W = withdrawal).

 

The deadlines for withdrawing from courses are specified in the university calendar issued at the beginning of the academic year or at the beginning of each semester. A course in which a student receives a "Withdrawal" grade (W) will not be included in the calculation of their cumulative GPA.

 

Article 12 - If a student withdraws from all their courses in a given semester, they will be considered suspended for that semester and will receive a "Withdrawal" grade (W) for all withdrawn courses. This semester will be counted towards the maximum study period and will appear on the transcript. The student is responsible for the associated costs. This does not affect the calculation of the cumulative grade point average (GPA). Article 13 - The semester grade point average (GPA) is calculated for each student at the end of the semester.

 

Article 13 - The semester grade point average (GPA) is calculated for each student at the end of each semester. It is the sum of the grades or points earned in the courses taken during the semester, multiplied by the number of credit hours for each course, and divided by the total number of credit hours taken by the student during the semester.

 

Article 14 - The cumulative grade point average (AGPA) is calculated for each student at the end of the semester using the same method as the semester grade point average, taking into account all courses taken by the student since the beginning of their studies, with the exception of repeated courses, in which case the higher grade is considered.

 

Article 15 - A student who fails to complete the required coursework due to a reason beyond their control will receive an "Incomplete" grade (I = incomplete). This is based on a proposal from the college council and a decision by the university council. The student must complete the additional work required to remove this grade before the end of the third week of the following semester. If the student fails to meet this deadline, they will receive a failing grade (Z or F) in the course.

 

Article 16 - A student who receives a failing grade (F = fail) or a failing grade (Z) in any course must re-enroll in the course and retake it if it is compulsory, or its equivalent if it is elective, while paying the applicable fees and installments.

 

Article 17 - Students are required to take the final exam for the course. A student will fail the course if they receive a score below 25% on the final exam or are absent from it, regardless of their grades in previous assessments, and will receive a failing grade (F = fail).

 

Article 18 - The number of credit hours a student may register for is determined. The minimum and maximum credit hours for different semesters are as follows:

semester	Minimum rate	Maximum rate	The maximum limit for colleges that
First (Autumn)	12	18+3*	25
The second (winter)	12	18+3*	25
Third (Summer)	2	9+3*	9+3*

*If the student's GPA in the previous semester is not less than (80%) or (3) points

Article 19 - The student's course load in the graduation semester may reach 21 credit hours in regular semesters and 12 credit hours in the summer semester.

Article 20 - In cases of a significant course load not counted towards the student's credit hours (such as remedial courses in a foreign language or basic sciences), the university may exempt the student from registering for credit hours. The total load resulting from the remedial courses will be taken into account when assessing the student's academic level upon issuance of official documents.

Second Semester

Academic Warnings

Article 21:

A- After the student's academic results are approved At the end of each semester, the university, starting from the semester following the semester in which the student enrolled (excluding the summer semester), shall issue a warning to any student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 in either the first or second semester.

B- Upon receiving a warning, the student must rescind it by raising their cumulative GPA to 2.0 or higher within a maximum of two semesters from the date of the warning.

C- The student shall be dismissed from the major after the period stipulated in paragraph (B) of this article has elapsed. This excludes students who have successfully completed 99 credit hours according to their study plan, provided their cumulative GPA is not less than 1.75 or its equivalent percentage. If their cumulative GPA falls below this in any subsequent semester, they shall be dismissed from the major without warning.

Article 22- A student who was dismissed from their studies due to a cumulative GPA below 2.0 may be admitted to a special remedial study program according to the following provisions:

A- If their cumulative GPA does not If a student's GPA falls below 1.5 points or its percentage equivalent, they will be given four semesters to raise it to the minimum acceptable level and return to regular student status. If they fail, they will not be permitted to continue private studies unless they have completed a total of 99 credit hours prescribed in their study plan and their cumulative GPA is at least 1.75 points or its percentage equivalent. In this case, they will be given a maximum of two additional semesters, after which they will be dismissed if they are unable to raise their GPA to 2.0.

B) If a student's GPA is between 1 and 1.49 points or its percentage equivalent, they will be given one opportunity to raise it to 1.5 points or its percentage equivalent. If they achieve this, they will be given three additional semesters to raise their GPA to the minimum acceptable level. If they fail, they will not be permitted to continue remedial private studies unless they have completed a total of 99 credit hours prescribed in their study plan and their cumulative GPA is at least 1.75 points or its equivalent. A student is given a maximum of two semesters, after which they will be dismissed if they fail to raise their GPA.

C. A student admitted to the remedial special study program loses their right to transfer to another major if they complete the four semesters granted to them in the remedial special study program and fail to raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum required level. The summer semester is not considered a valid academic extension for this purpose.

D. The course load for a student admitted to the remedial special study program is a maximum of fifteen (15) credit hours for each of the first and second semesters and six (6) credit hours for the summer semester.

Article 23-A. A student who obtains less than one point or its percentage equivalent in their cumulative GPA in any semester after their first semester at the university, excluding the summer semester, will be dismissed from their major. If a student obtains less than one point or its percentage equivalent in their cumulative GPA in any subsequent semester, they will be dismissed from the university.

B. A student dismissed from a major is not permitted to be admitted to another major more than once during their studies at the university. In all cases, the Director of Admissions and Registration is responsible for issuing warnings or dismissals to the student, and the student is notified of the warning or dismissal decision through their academic advisor or in any other manner deemed appropriate by the university.

C. A student who has been academically dismissed from any major may not be readmitted to it.

Article 24 - Subject to the provisions of Article (15) of these regulations, if a student receives an Incomplete grade (I) in any semester and is subject to dismissal from the major or the university due to a low cumulative GPA, the following shall apply:

A. The student shall not be permitted to continue studying in the following semester until they have completed their coursework and raised their GPA to the minimum required level.

B. The student shall be dismissed if they fail to raise their GPA to the minimum required level after completing the coursework for that semester.

Article 25 - A student shall be dismissed from the university or major if they exceed the maximum allowed study period.

Chapter Three

Graduation

Article 26 - A. A student is considered to have graduated upon successful completion of all courses in the approved study plan. If their overall cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher and they have not exceeded the maximum allowed study period, they shall be awarded a graduation certificate and document signed by the Dean of the College and the President of the University, in addition to a transcript signed by the President of the University.

B. Upon graduation, the GPA is calculated The final cumulative percentage is calculated by multiplying each percentage mark earned by the student in all courses within the study plan by the number of credit hours for that course, divided by the total credit hours for the plan.

Chapter Four

General Provisions

Article 27-A. A grade may not be reviewed, nor may an exam paper be re-marked, except in cases of a material error related to the addition or recording of marks, or the failure to mark an entire answer or an entire section of an answer that has been separated from it.

B. The course examination committee may not retrieve exam papers after they have been opened, nor may it change any marks after the papers have been opened.

C. Students may not view their exam papers unless the Dean of the College deems it necessary.

D. The Dean of the College, or their deputy, along with the course instructors and the Director of Admissions and Registration, will review student appeals regarding their results and ensure that there are no material errors in their exam papers upon the finalization of results.

E. The overall grade for the course exam will be rounded up to the nearest whole number, regardless of the fractional value.

F. If a student requires fewer than the minimum number of credit hours allowed in their graduation semester, they may register for the required number of hours.

G. The final exam for each course will be held at the end of The semester exam is written and comprehensive, covering the entire course. The final exam may include practical, oral, or report-based components. The college council, based on a recommendation from the relevant department, determines the percentage of the final exam grade allocated to these components and announces this to students at the beginning of the semester.

H- A student is barred from taking the final exam for a course if they do not meet the required attendance percentage and receives a failing grade (Z).

I- Grades from courses previously taken at another university are not included in the student's cumulative GPA.

J- A student transferring from another university may not graduate unless they have completed at least 50% of the required credit hours at the university.

K- The university retains final exam papers for each semester for a minimum of ten years.